The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Series [2]: The Rock

[Calderownz]

Simple. I give you a past/veteran wrestler and you tell me the good, the bad and the ugly about this performer.

This time, we have The Rock.

THE GOOD:
Mic work, mic work, mic work. What else can you say? What else do you have to say? Marketing-wise, he had so many shirts/catchphrases and was so incredible on the mic. Literally, one of the best ever. Nonetheless, he was also capable of a great match and was never boring as The Rock. (Rocky Johnson's boy is another story, Lol.) He was also a wrestler that had a reputation of always going through with the plans, without much politicking, always seeing the bigger picture. Good or bad guy, he excelled. Great performer, great entertainer, good in the ring and had so many classic moments.

THE BAD:
He wasn't the best technical wrestler and he had a tendency to oversell certain moves. Not in the Mr. Perfect way, which is a good thing. In the, "I just got a stunner, now watch me doing a back-flip from a laying down position and then jump out of the ring," kind of way.

THE UGLY:
Hard to say something that was ugly, but I will say that he has somewhat turned his back on the wrestling business, in terms of having anything to do with it currently. He's also someone that has great moments and spectacles, but not MANY great matches. For a guy that is this "classic," that's..... not too good.

I wouldn't say that he has much "Ugly" about him.

Anyway. What about you guys?

 

[Dwayne_Jason]

There really is nothing Ugly with the Rock. For the people who said "he turned back on wrestling" yes he did. Why? Because he didn't want to end up drugged up and with a life-time of arthritics. Not to mention, the Rock can't fit into the PG era. If he was the face at this time, Cena would most likely be a ME'er but not a big one. Orton wouldn't even exist (Remember Cena-Haters, your lover boy Orton got his big heel push in '07 when he punted Cena's father and took him out). We wouldn't have the Miz (Who, ALSO got over due to Cena). Not only that, The Rock's promos were not for the young or the faint of heart. So, yeah the Rock would not be a good PG face where Cena would be.

Then again, The Rock's merch sales matches Cena if not tops it. And merch sales are what drives PG, so would there be a PG if it were for the Rock? MMA's rise is pretty much equal to the drop of PPV because of the losing interest of the adult. So maybe MMA wouldn't exist, Lesnar might not have pursued MMA. Lol, I could go on and on with the possibilities. And that's the Good/Bad and Ugly. All at the same time. Decide for yourself weather it is Good/Bad/Ugly

 

[BillAlfonso]

Damn, you didn't really leave a whole lot for the good/bad section cuz you nailed everything although I wouldn't call his "overselling" a bad thing as it was one of my favorite parts of the matches. The way he took Stunners alway made me think "Okay, Rock, you do realize we know it's fake, right?" I also agree that it's ugly that he's not wrestling any longer but I don't look at if as if he "turned his back," I tend to think he's taken the road less traveled by. I mean, the guy has "done the honors" with Mick Foley for Evolution including RKO and Batista, he also put over The Hurricane as well. Here's my list:

Good: Every day he was The Rock/Rocky "The Rock" Maivia.

Bad: Everyday he as just Rocky Maivia.

Ugly: He's no longer a pro-wrestler.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

THE GOOD:

You nailed it more than I ever could really. I consider The Rock to be the best superstar to have ever picked up the mic. Even moreso than Austin. His attitude was original and entertaining; he is, to this day, the funniest guy I've watched in wrestling. He was just an immensely over-the-top character that was larger than life.

THE BAD:

I take over-the-top with a grain of salt. More often then naught I had problems taking The Rock seriously. He was a caricature from hell. As years pass by I expect superstars to evolve their gimmick; but Rock was still playing the same kind of character since the late 90s well up into...well even now. It's almost a form of self-parody. I have the same problems with Hulk Hogan in this aspect.

THE UGLY:

The Rock truly became an icon we would remember around 1997. He quit wrestling in 2002, came back for a brief stint with angles revolving around Foley and Hogan, and then quit for good in roughly 2004; making very rare appearances since. This means we had The Rock for what? 7 years or so with the on again/off again? Does anyone else realize we had guys like John Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton for 8 with barely any major absence? Two out of the three are still going strong too.

The only ugly that I can really say about Rocky is his somewhat brief tenure in wrestling. He definitely has more to give the company because he said it himself. His only reason for not stepping in the ring now is he doesn't like the company's direction and it would edit his character.

But if that's the case, why has Stone Cold made appearances almost every year now?

 

[holdingholder]

I take over-the-top with a grain of salt. More often then naught I had problems taking The Rock seriously. He was a caricature from hell. As years pass by I expect superstars to evolve their gimmick; but Rock was still playing the same kind of character since the late 90s well up into...well even now. It's almost a form of self-parody. I have the same problems with Hulk Hogan in this aspect.

I have to disagree with you on that one, if anything the Rock changed his character too much. I loved the cocky deliberate speaking side-burn wearing Rock. As he progressed he started to talk faster and use his catch phrases less Also his ring work became much better, by the time he was hollywood heel, he was incredible, he would look so fast flying around the ring doing kip ups and shit, I think a lot of people overlook the Rock's ring work.
Well my good is well everything, HE'S THE FREAKING ROCK MAN!!! lol
Bad- I always thought he lost too many matches, but I guess he was always willing to lose to put people over
Ugly- him getting booed and called a sellout at summerslam 2002 because peolpe knew he was losing ad leaving and subsequently getting booed at the raw 10th anniversary show leading to him returning as a heel ( a very entertaining heel though)

 

[Brahma Bull]

good: anytime he picked up a mic he was golden. he had amazing matches with so many people, such as austin, foley, taker, angle, etc. he helped put over and establish foley, angle, lesner, goldberg (in wwe), jericho, hhh, big show, and those are just the ones off the top of my head. he never had a problem loosing, and he never tried to use his power to get his way. he was a company man when he was there and did what was best for the company. this is your life was one of the highest rated segments of all time, and it was his match with foley where foley won the title off him that turned the tides in the ratings wars.
bad: his first face run was horrible, but after that, not too much.
ugly: i dont consider this ugly, but many people do so ill put it here. the rock wasnt around too long compared to other wrestlers of his caliber. but i dont fault him because i dont think i guy should have to have a broken neck, back, be paralyzed, have brain damage, etc to leave. he left after doing a lot, he ran out his contract, and he moved on to something that would allow him to see his family more and not have to worry about being injured or in pain the rest of his life, and for that i say good for him.

 

[Y2JChrisJericho]

Well OP, well said. Just one thing, I loved how The Rock would "oversell" the stunners, I thought it looked viscous. When "overselling" stunners go wrong? Scott Hall vs. Stone Cold at WM in 2002, that looked awful. The Rock? It looked brutal (in a good way, in the way where you think Rock's jaw would be broken). Also, I never really thought Rock over sold too much, and people do overrate him in the ring but he was still a pretty good wrestler.

The bad/ugly is what you mentioned in the original post, how he turned his back in the wrestling business. That tarnished his legacy in my opinion, and if Rock was still wrestling today, who knows how much better his career would be. I think The Rock was never really injury prone but would miss time due to "movies" and such, and that really hurt his steam.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

The Good:

There's nothing good about Rock. Evertything's great. But if I had to select just one feature it would be promos. He cut the funniest promos in the business. Actually he was one of the first guys who made jokes a regular part of his promos thus raising the standard for future generations. Another thing that was great about Rock were his expressions. Expressions take you far in this business. Just ask Alberto Del Rio how much his smile has done for him.

The Bad:

Overselling. I don't understand how some people actually compliment his selling ability. Overselling is just as bad as no selling in the sense it destroys kayfabe. How can a move affect one guy so much while it doesn't affect others in the same manner? Also he was just above average in the ring. I don't think he was better than Austin though quite a few people say so.

The Ugly:

The fact that people bash him for leaving the business for movies. I mean he did everything in his short career. He rose to the top, did great business when he was on top and elevated guys before going away. What more do you need? So I guess there i nothing ugly about The Rock.

 

[RJJ]

Simple. I give you a past/veteran wrestler and you tell me the good, the bad and the ugly about this performer.

This time, we have The Rock.

THE GOOD:
Mic work, mic work, mic work. What else can you say? What else do you have to say? Marketing-wise, he had so many shirts/catchphrases and was so incredible on the mic. Literally, one of the best ever. Nonetheless, he was also capable of a great match and was never boring as The Rock. (Rocky Johnson's boy is another story, Lol.) He was also a wrestler that had a reputation of always going through with the plans, without much politicking, always seeing the bigger picture. Good or bad guy, he excelled. Great performer, great entertainer, good in the ring and had so many classic moments.

THE BAD:
He wasn't the best technical wrestler and he had a tendency to oversell certain moves. Not in the Mr. Perfect way, which is a good thing. In the, "I just got a stunner, now watch me doing a back-flip from a laying down position and then jump out of the ring," kind of way.

THE UGLY:
Hard to say something that was ugly, but I will say that he has somewhat turned his back on the wrestling business, in terms of having anything to do with it currently. He's also someone that has great moments and spectacles, but not MANY great matches. For a guy that is this "classic," that's..... not too good.
I wouldn't say that he has much "Ugly" about him.

Anyway. What about you guys?

I strongly disagree. He had a lot of great matchs.

WM matches vs austin
WM X8 vs Hogan
Vengeance 2002 vs Angle vs Taker
Ironman match vs HHH
No Way Out 2001 vs Angle
Lastman standing vs foley
I quit match vs foley
Fully Loaded vs benoit
and the list goes on...

All these were great matches. Beside, if my memory serves me correctly, it was the fans who turned thier back on the rock not vice versa. So why would he stay if the people don't want him to stay. They've been booing his ass since his WM match against hogan up untill 2003, and now they begging him to come back?! Rock done it all and there is nothing left to prove. He took and he gave back.

 

[Calderownz]

I strongly disagree. He had a lot of great matchs.

WM matches vs austin
WM X8 vs Hogan
Vengeance 2002 vs Angle vs Taker
Ironman match vs HHH
No Way Out 2001 vs Angle
Lastman standing vs foley
I quit match vs foley
Fully Loaded vs benoit
and the list goes on...

All these were great matches. Beside, if my memory serves me correctly, it was the fans who turned thier back on the rock not vice versa. So why would he stay if the people don't want him to stay. They've been booing his ass since his WM match against hogan up untill 2003, and now they begging him to come back?! Rock done it all and there is nothing left to prove. He took and he gave back.

I was stretching and I openly admitted that. Nonetheless, considering how big of a name he is, you'd expect that he'd have INCREDIBLE matches on a almost nightly basis. Which is what a lot of great superstars can say. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, for example. Not to say they are better overall or that they aren't, for that matter.

Considering how over he was, and the fact that he didn't do that, it can be considered a kind of ugly thing in the business. Especially when guys who could get it done better in the ring then Rocky, didn't have the same success.

This isn't The Rock's fault. It's actually a good thing in the sense that he still made it. But, it could definitely be considered ugly to "internet purests."

Also, he is still remembered for his moments far more than his matches.

Nonetheless, I admitted I was stretching.

 

[RJJ]

I was stretching and I openly admitted that. Nonetheless, considering how big of a name he is, you'd expect that he'd have INCREDIBLE matches on a almost nightly basis. Which is what a lot of great superstars can say. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, for example. Not to say they are better overall or that they aren't, for that matter.

Considering how over he was, and the fact that he didn't do that, it can be considered a kind of ugly thing in the business. Especially when guys who could get it done better in the ring then Rocky, didn't have the same success.

This isn't The Rock's fault. It's actually a good thing in the sense that he still made it. But, it could definitely be considered ugly to "internet purests."

Also, he is still remembered for his moments far more than his matches.

Nonetheless, I admitted I was stretching.

Hold on..I know that rock was great and all that, but you can't compare his in-ring wrestling abilities to hbk and the hitman, i mean they are the two greatest in-ring wrestlers of all time. Matter of fact you can't expect from any wrestler to give you great matches night in and night out that includes hogan, austin, taker, hhh, flair.

"Also, he is still remembered for his moments far more than his matches."

I strongly disagree. He had some great moments, but his WM match with hogan and the 3 wm matches with austin will always be signature for his wrestling career.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Interesting topic. Let's see here.... "The Good" about the Rock would be dang near everything. Mic skills that might never be topped, decent in the ring, held a lot of titles, interesting feuds, and had a lot of good matches.... He had it all and that's why he's a legend. "The Bad" I honestly cannot think of anything, except for perhaps one thing that could also be filed under "The Ugly". That would be his time as Rocky Maivia because during this time fans were booing and making death threats against a guy who would go on to become one of the best, quite ironic. That timeframe is the only bad/ugly point in an otherwise great career.

 

[The Brain]

The Good:

His connection with the crowd. This could easily be generalized as mic work, but I think it’s more than that. Nobody could control a crowd like The Rock. He was amazing. He could get the crowd to do anything he wanted. So many times he would say “They’re chanting the Rock’s name” and immediately there would be a Rocky chant. He would say “the millions” and 15,000 people would follow along “and millions.” When Rock was on his game, which he usually was, no one could touch him when it came to charisma.

The Bad:

He’s had some really good matches, but oftentimes Rock was sloppy in the ring. I used to cringe when I saw him use the sharpshooter or attempt an overhead suplex. He looked ridiculous when he took the stunner. A lot of Rock’s matches were nothing but brawls in the aisle and through the crowd. That’s probably more indicative of the times than the talent of the Rock, but nonetheless he was involved in some pretty bad main events.

The Ugly:

Royal Rumble 1999. Rock got carried away and took advantage of a defenseless Mick Foley ruthlessly hitting him in the head with a chair eleven times. I’ve mentioned before this was a shocking betrayal of trust between wrestlers and I’m surprised Rock never got any heat for it.

 

[Calderownz]

Hold on..I know that rock was great and all that, but you can't compare his in-ring wrestling abilities to hbk and the hitman, i mean they are the two greatest in-ring wrestlers of all time. Matter of fact you can't expect from any wrestler to give you great matches night in and night out that includes hogan, austin, taker, hhh, flair.

"Also, he is still remembered for his moments far more than his matches."

I strongly disagree. He had some great moments, but his WM match with hogan and the 3 wm matches with austin will always be signature for his wrestling career.

No, you're right. You can't expect a wrestler to have great matches night in and night out. HOWEVER, some wrestlers actually get that done, or close to it. It's not the ugliest thing. But he was VERY prominent on television and on PPVs and he was the greatest of wrestlers. That's all I'm stressing here.

At the end of the day, you can look at that Hogan "match" in any way you'd like. But that match is far more of a spectacle than it is an actual exhibition of professional wrestling.